National Republican., 1887-07-12
LIFE ON A FARM.
A Young Man Explains the Delights OF
Agricultural Work.
dakota Bell,I

Dakota Bell.I
"No," said the pale young man, sadly,
~ am not working on farm for my health
now.n
tbs that 80 ?"
:'Yes. have come away, and the farm
which knew mo would perhaps know mr
yet II It could get sight Of me; but 1t
can't.n
~ went out, you know, by the advice OF
a physician. Said he; You need outdoor
exercise, and above all, sleep, such long,
quiet nights sleep. as you can only ilud IN
Of the city, with the great open windows
aud the cool and velyety breeze floating
through your room all night long, with
perhaps an occasional night with the patter-
ing rain upon the roof to lull you to Sleep
That's what the doctor said.
$50 hired out to farmer to work all
summer. He said was so white aud pale
that he couldn't give me anything but my
board for my services, but II l wanted TO
work for that might climb In behind the
seat and ride out
$50 / did. lie had one mule aud one
horse, and the mule balked every time we
went up hill and the horse every time we
went down hill, and they both tried to run
away on the level. lie drove them with a
~
"But We got out there at last. don't
want TO tell you anything about the work
| to-day-I haven't time-but feel as II 1
must say something about those long
nights sleep.
HThe first night we got home late, but
/ still the sun was only nicely down. The
| sun sets about two hours later out there
than anywhere else in the known world.
"After supper the farmer spent one hour
| and a half telling me about the fax crop
| on the back forty and then he reckoned
| we better milk. There were twelve cows
and he said each would take six. He
gave me the kickers, and It took me two
hours, and It had been dark long time
| when i finished. Then he had me pump
| up water for the next day. And It took
| forty minutes. Then filled the woodbox
and split the kindling wood. Aud as IL
was big box It took thirty minutes
Then he told me about the oat crop, which
took an hour. And when went to bed 1t
was growing light in the east.
| "Thc window In the room was a pane Of
/ glass nailed over an irregular hole 10 the
boards and could not be opened. | felt
around In the dim light and finally got into
bed. had just fallen asleep and had begun
| to dream was lying along the ridge pole
| Of double-humped camel when the farmer
pounded on the stairs with an old broom
stick and said breakfast was ready.
couldn't see as 1t was any lighter than when
was little redder
| al will pass over the day, as IL is painful
to recall. Or rather the day and the last
end OF one night and first end OF another,
for We were in the hay yield sixteen hours.
"And that evening after supper he said
might throw the dirt out Of u new cellar
| while rested.
"Then we miked, and he gave me eight
cows instead of six--all kickers. Aud ons
Of them was hooker, too, and slammed
me through the corn crib.
~ got to bed an hour sooner than the
night before, because he said he was think
ing some of getting up early the next
morning.
pleasant patter OF the rain on the roof that
that old fraud of doctor spoke about.
But 1t didn't lull me to sleep because IL
leaked down on me and got the bed clothes
all wet, and caught cold.
"And when the farmer pounded on the
stairs got up and looked at my watch, and
/ had been abed an hour and forty minutes
And my clothes were wet and there was
water In my shoes.
"But It was good day and we worked at
the hay again. We moved down what the
farmer called O 'slather' OF 1t. And that
night after had rested awhile on the cell
lar and MIXED the twelve cows-twelve
kickers-and one OF them thought / was
trying to kidnap her calf aud chased me
out Of the yard-the farmer said 1t looked
like rain again, and he reclSoned we'd bet
ter 60 out and cock up that hay before bed
| time.
"And before we got to the field saw the
morning star, and when had got up twelve
bunches Of hay and the old hypocrite OF q
farmer four, heard lark. Then when
had up twenty-four punches aud the
farmer six, 1t began to grow quite light.
"When the farmer saw it he laid down
on the hay and laughed for ten minutes
He said we had worked right through the
night without knowing 1t.
"But had known more about than he
thought had.
"We.worked an hour longer and then we
went to the house and nilked. Break
fast wasn't quite ready, and l threw a
couple OF cubic yards Of sand out OF the
bottom Of the cellar.
Sand while we were eating the farmer
told me to hurry because he would like to
get In one full days work during haying
/ said would, too, and that would stop
and go ont and harness the horses. And h.
said that was business, and went out ant
ran down the road and walked into town.
Sand now am looking for that Old lial
Of physician aud surgeon who told INT
about the long nights sleep would get OF
afarm.n